Sacroiliac Joint Fusion Implant with Threaded Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sacroiliac joint fusion devices fail to provide adequate compression across the SI joint, leading to difficulties in achieving fusion due to significant micromotions, as they lack moving mechanical components that can be actuated once implanted.
Innovation Solution
An implant design featuring a distal anchor with deployable wings and a compressive element, adjustable along a threaded body to enhance compression across the SI joint, allowing for minimally invasive insertion and adjustment to anchor against cortical bone, thereby reducing micromotions and promoting fusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If typical SI joint fusion devices are used, then the implant can be inserted over a guidewire, but they fail to provide adequate compression across the SI joint to enhance fusion
Solution Approach 1:
The implant incorporates a movable compressive element that can be actuated after insertion to dynamically apply compression to the SI joint. This dynamic mechanism allows the device to transition from a passive structure to an active compression device, resolving the contradiction between providing adequate compression and maintaining implant simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant includes a self-actuating compression mechanism that can be triggered by the surgeon through a simple action (such as rotating a handle or pressing a button) to deploy the compressive element. This self-service feature enables the implant to provide compression without requiring complex external actuation systems, thereby improving fusion reliability while maintaining device simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If the implant structure is simplified for minimally invasive insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but the ability to provide adjustable compression is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is divided into distinct functional segments: a simple insertable body, a separate compressive element, and a coupling mechanism. This segmentation allows the main body to remain simple for minimally invasive insertion while the compressive element provides adjustable compression functionality, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and compression adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressive element is nested within or coupled to the implant body in a compact configuration that allows minimally invasive insertion. Once inserted, the nested compressive element can be actuated to provide compression, enabling the implant to maintain simplicity during insertion while offering compression adjustability through the nested mechanism.
3Reliability
If the implant provides strong anchoring to reduce micromotions, then fusion reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring elements incorporate curved or spherical contact surfaces that conform to the anatomy of the SI joint and surrounding bone. This curvature allows for strong biological anchoring through improved contact area and stress distribution, enhancing fusion reliability without requiring complex multi-component anchoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant utilizes parameter changes in the anchoring element geometry (such as thread pitch, surface texture, or curvature radius) to optimize bone integration and reduce micromotions. By adjusting these geometric parameters rather than adding complex mechanisms, the implant achieves enhanced anchoring strength while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The implant effectively reduces micromotions at the SI joint by providing adjustable compression, improving fusion and stabilization through enhanced anchoring and bone integration, facilitating quicker recovery and reduced surgical trauma.
Implementation Method 1
a threaded body having a distal end and a proximal end, the threaded body coupled to the first body at the distal end and to the second body at the proximal end
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and devices for sacroiliac joint fusion described include an implant comprising a first body having a distal anchor and a second body having proximal anchor. The first body includes a threaded body integrally formed with the first body or threadably coupled to the first body. The distal anchor may be formed by a pair of deployable wings. The pair of deployable wings may be deployed within the cancellous bone of the sacrum and anchored against the cortical bone of the sacrum. The proximal anchor may engage with an outer surface of the ilium. The second body may be threaded along the threaded body to provide compression across the sacroiliac joint. Compressing the sacroiliac joint can reduce motion thereof to promote fusion and stabilization.